The House Bill passed easily, tallying 331 votes in favor to 83 votes against. It now must make its way through Senate, where it is expected to pass expeditiously, before it is enacted into law. If approved, the unemployment benefits extension would be the 4th of its kind passed by Congress since December 2007. Though the economy is thought to be on a gradual mend, statistics from August 2009 told the story of a still-wounded economy with a 9....
Prenups are pretty common nowadays, but what is a postnup? Unlike prenups, which are entered into before a marriage, postnuptial agreements are signed after the wedding has taken place. Even if you’re happily married, a postnup can be a good financial tool that can help smooth out money-related tensions in a relationship. Since financial disagreements tend to cause heartache, postnups could be the key a happy marriage. A postnup is a legal document that’s signed by the couple after they’re married....
One of our previous posts looking at the best cities for women entrepreneurs by and large generated the expected results: San Francisco, New York City, Houston, Denver, etc. But a recent report on the best overall states for women-owned businesses had a somewhat more surprising winner, reports Slate. While large states like California may have the greatest number of female business owners, it turns out that, in terms of growing economic clout, women are currently making it happen in… North Dakota....
For the most part, divorce courts don’t treat cheating spouses like they used to. With the rise of no-fault divorce options, whether one spouse had an extramarital affair generally doesn’t come into play in divorce cases. But what about when children are involved? Could courts and judges take adultery into account when making child custody decisions? While state laws can vary, almost every court is legally bound to decide custody issues in the child’s best interests....
A new website for small business owners, “Small Biz Reg Watch,” launched today with the help of the House Committee on Small Businesses. What’s the purpose of this new corner of the web? It’s a forum for small business owners to comment on proposed regulations that may affect their bottom line or the way they do business. The website doesn’t change the right of small business owners to comment on newly proposed rules; any citizen can do that....
Knott’s Berry Farm was the scene of a roller coaster collision that injured 10 people the night of October 7. The accident happened around 8 p.m. on the “Pony Express” ride due to some kind of mechanical function. The ride began as normal, starting up an incline to get to the first drop. However, the roller coaster did not make it up the incline and rolled backwards, crashing into a roller coaster car waiting in the loading station....
A fatal chain-reaction crash, caused by a driver who sent and received 11 texts in 11 minutes, is driving the NTSB to call for a nationwide cell phone ban for drivers. The National Transportation Safety Board is recommending an across-the-board ban on non-emergency cell phone use while driving. Even going hands-free is far too distracting behind the wheel, the NTSB says. The NTSB’s recommendation follows the agency’s investigation of a chain-reaction crash in Missouri, the Associated Press reports....
Investigators recovered the body of an 11th victim from the wreckage of a massive chain-reaction Florida highway crash. Lawsuits are likely to follow. The body of the victim, who was not identified, was pulled Tuesday from a truck that got caught in a series of crashes on Interstate 75, CNN reports. Thick smoke from a brush fire blew across I-75 near Gainesville early Sunday, and drivers were blinded. At least 12 cars, six tractor-trailers, and a motor home were involved in the crashes, Fox News reports....
How does a deadly nightclub fire in Brazil affect your business? Well, it should be a wakeup call for you to review and possibly revamp your procedures for dealing with a fire. It doesn’t matter if you run a nightclub, a day spa, or an Internet startup, you need to have a plan in place in case a fire breaks out on your premises. An effective emergency fire protocol can help to avoid a tragedy, and perhaps even a lawsuit....
When applying for a new job, most applicants expect that an employer will check up on the applicant’s references and job history as part of an employee background check. But what about an applicant’s credit? If a job seeker has a spotty credit history, past foreclosures, or large amounts of unpaid or past-due debts, should she be worried that a prospective employer may also check her credit score? The short answer is: in many states, yes; in other states, no; and in any event, there are strict federal rules about how an employee credit check must be done....
Identity theft is probably a concern for many of your customers. And while in some instances it happens because of careless or foolish Internet usage, for many people the problem starts with a business’ security breach. In that case, the problem may lead to business liability. No matter what kind of company you have, if you store client or customer information online then you could be putting people’s data at risk....
Though no one enjoys going to the DMV, it’s rare that anyone experiences more pain than that of boredom. Enter Thomas Demartini, one DMV employee you hope never calls your number. Amber Yust, the woman behind headlines proclaiming “Transgender Woman Sues DMV,” moved to San Francisco a few months ago. Having recently changed her name, it was time to get a new driver’s license. While at the local office, Ms. Yust met Thomas Demartini, the clerk who handled her application....
Relatives of a Navy Yard shooting victim have filed a $37.5 million claim against the government, alleging their loved one’s death was partly due to ignorance of the gunman’s mental state. CNN reports that Mary DeLorenzo Knight, 51, was one of 12 people killed in September’s Navy Yard shooting in Washington, D.C. Knight’s family, along with lawyers for her estate, filed their claim against the Department of the Navy and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for missing “red flags” presented by shooting suspect Aaron Alexis....
A past criminal record can wreak havoc on so may things: a job application, housing assistance, student loans, child custody, and even a state bar license. Expunging a criminal record can be priceless to some people. For others, price is a consideration. How much can you expect to pay to expunge your criminal record? That depends – on the number, nature, and location of the crime. Every state has different requirements to expunge a record....
In a possible sign of economic recovery, small-business lending hit a four-year high in November, a new report shows. At the same time, the number of small-business loans in delinquency declined. The results are revealed in the Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index that tracks the overall volume of small-business financing, Reuters reports. The lending index jumped by 18% between November 2010 and November 2011. It’s now at its highest level since February 2008....
Bernie Madoff granted his first jailhouse interview this week. Speaking with attorneys who have filed suits against his family members and various feeder funds, Madoff shielded others from blame by saying he pulled it all off by himself. Madoff saying that he pulled it off alone, to lawyers who have sued his wife, isn’t too surprising. (Whether she knew about the scheme or not, Ruth Madoff has now been sued by the Madoff operation’s bankruptcy trustee for $45 million to help repay victims)....
The cause of the injury may not matter so much as the police’s reaction to the injury in this Rhode Island police coma lawsuit. A 42-year-old man, Daniel Finn, said he suffered permanent brain damage as the result of excessive force by police outside of a casino. The police say that Finn caused his own injuries by repeatedly banging his head on window bars while being taken to the station....
A vote on the New Jersey gay marriage bill, slated to take place in the New Jersey Senate, has been canceled by the bill’s sponsors. The New York Times reports that the sponsors canceled the vote in order to allow a hearing in the General Assembly where they claim support for gay marriage law will be stronger. The bill’s sponsors are Senators Raymond J. Lesniak and Loretta Weinberg who are both Democrats....
New York City’s ban on supersized sugary drinks, which barred large sodas from restaurants, fast food joints, and movie theaters, was struck down as unconstitutional by a state appellate court on Tuesday. The ban on sugary drinks of more than 16 ounces was pressed by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who had supported it in an attempt to curb obesity, reports USA Today. Failure of this regulation may mean a tough road for any future bans on food or drink to promote health....
The man who created a fake Twitter account to parody the mayor of Peoria, Illinois, is now suing the city over his arrest. Jonathan Daniel was suspected of creating and running the @peoriamayor Twitter account and was arrested after police raided his home in April. Mashable reports that the State’s Attorney for Peoria County decided to drop the charges for impersonating a public official, but Daniel isn’t done with the city just yet....
